Report Reveals the Transformative Power of Community Education for Lone Parents
A report released by The Beachaire Fund and Community Foundation Ireland has revealed that increased and sustained funding for community education could have a transformative effect on the lives of lone parents and their families.
Lone parents with low levels of education face disproportionate risks of poverty and social exclusion. *Research conducted between June 2022 and July 2023, by the Centre for Effective Services (CES) on behalf of the Beachaire Fund, found that lone parents engaging in community education programmes experienced a transformative impact on their lives. The report, titled “‘The Power of Community Education: Supporting lone parents to fulfil their potential in education, employment, and society”, concluded that by removing barriers to their educational success and personal growth, community education empowers lone parents to create a better future for themselves and their families. The report also highlighted how community education providers are improving employability for lone parents by identifying and responding to skills gaps and local employment opportunities and delivering tailored courses accessible in their local areas.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Education, Norma Foley, TD, said:
“The key role for Community Education in tackling disadvantage and social exclusion of lone parents, is in affording a trusted engagement or re-engagement with education, with a key focus on the learners’ personal wellbeing which is complemented by progression opportunities into further and higher education, training, paid employment, and involvement in the wider community.
“The report’s findings reach into a whole range of responsibilities across several Departments. Following extensive stakeholder engagement, SOLAS is currently finalising a new Community Education Framework that will ensure a consistent learner approach and aligning Community Education with common Further Education and Training requirements. Meanwhile, the REACH Fund, operated through the Education and Training Boards, supports educationally disadvantaged learners to access and participate in community education.
“These initiatives align with the report’s overall recommendation to maximise the power of community education to deliver specific policy commitments. It is my true belief that Education is our greatest power so I’m delighted to be at today’s launch and to congratulate all those involved in the journey of the Report on Community Education as a support for Lone Parents.”
Sharon Burke, Funder Advisor at the Beachaire Fund stated:
“This research shows that community education transforms lives. Where the wraparound support for programmes includes 1:1 mentoring support and provision for childcare, lone parents can pursue education without worrying about their children's care, enabling them to fully engage and achieve their goals, progress in further and higher education and training, paid and better paid employment, and involvement in their community.
“It’s time to increase investment in community education and to improve access for lone parents. The key to unlocking its full potential lies in three critical areas: increased funding and streamlined funding processes; providing robust wraparound supports including childcare; and using uniform measurement techniques that capture the full impact of community education, in terms of both benefits to learners and participation numbers.
“As it stands, community education operates on the edge of a funding crisis every year. By streamlining funding and making increased funding available on a multiannual basis, we can reduce administrative burdens and free up staff to focus on providing quality education and support for even more lone parents.”
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive, Community Foundation Ireland, added:
“Access to community education is essential if we are to achieve equality. This pioneering research, made possible by philanthropy, makes the compelling case for investment to ensure all parents enjoy that access. The provision of wrap-around services such as childcare and a switch to reliable multi-annual funding are essential not just for lone parents, but also to for educators so they spend less time worrying about balancing the books and more time in the classroom. The Community Foundation supports these findings and encourages all policymakers to act.”
Anne Eustace, CES Research Project Specialist said:
"We were delighted to have been able to engage effectively with lone parents and community education providers to deliver this compelling research. The findings clearly demonstrate the power of community education to support lone parents to return to education, better their employment and life prospects, along with the added value of a positive ripple effect on the health and wellbeing of their children.”